Ken M. lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with his wife and kids.
One weekend, Ken was jolted awake to his spouse’s screams.
“There’s a bear in the house!” She yelled.
The family’s two dogs were barking, and when Ken’s wife went to the bedroom door she was face to face with a black bear.
Ken grabbed his .40 caliber pistol and moved in front of his wife. He aimed center mass of the bear just as it started charging him.
He unloaded his Glock pistol into the bear.
The bear crashed through the banister and slid down the stairs, coming to rest within five feet of Ken.
State wildlife officers responded to the scene to confirm the bear’s death.
Ken said, “My only thought was protecting my family and putting that bear down.”
The bear was so large that wildlife officials had to use a winch to remove the bear from the house. One official said, “I deal with bears a lot and I’d say this was a big bear.”
Colorado state laws allow people to kill bears in self-defense, and it was ruled that Ken was justified in shooting the bear.
In this case, Ken was lucky his Glock was able to take down such a huge animal. I’m guessing he had some pretty accurate shot placement.
If you are hunting, or defending your home or property against large game you want a powerful round.
A new round to consider is the newly created Winchester .400 Legend.
What is the .400 Legend?:
The .400 is a round designed to be the middle ground between the .350 Legend and the .450 Bushmaster.
The company says the round is heavy hitting with moderate recoil. It’s ideal for hunting hogs, bears, and other big game within 200 yards.
The new ammo will be available in July 2023. According to Winchester, companies including Ruger, Savage Arms, and Mossberg will be producing rifles chambered in the .400 Legend round.
The initial round will be 215-grain, with more options coming in 2024.
Benefits of the .400 Legend:
The biggest advantage to the .400 Legend is the design of the cartridge. The cartridge is straight walled, not a “bottleneck” design.
This is a big deal because some states restrict “bottleneck” cartridges for hunting.
In addition, the .400 Legend has a similar energy to the .450 Bushmaster, but it has 20% less recoil.
In comparison, the .400 Legend has about 100% more energy than a 12-gauge slug but with 50% less recoil.
As you can see, the.400 Legend has significant advantages in ballistics and recoil.
Drawbacks to the .400 Legend:
The biggest issue with the .400 Legend is that it’s so new.
It’s true that Winchester claims many reputable companies will be producing rifles chambered in the .400 Legend.
But the issue is that these rifles are expected to be introduced in the coming years.
For example, Savage Arms has said they will produce 14 rifles chambered in .400 Legend, but it will take time to get them to market.
In other words, at the moment, there aren’t a lot of uses for it right now.
And, as with anything new, I would wait and see what real-life users say about the ammo before buying a rifle chambered in .400 Legend.
Now, whether you’re looking to fend off bears, burglars, or be ahead of the next crazed mob, there’s one thing you need to have nailed down.
And that’s your home defense plan, which will hopefully never include a huge bear.
I’m talking about a comprehensive plan to defend your entire yard and home.
Creating concentric circles of defense that makes attempting to get into your house a living you know what for any criminal.
